Selective mechanism for multiple-tracker-board musical instruments.



R. s. IRVINE. I

SELECTIVE MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLE TRACKER BOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

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SELECTIVE MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLE TRACKER BOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1915.

1 03,002 Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

2 SHEE TS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS. I iydxjzj g/ Z J}2 2 RICHARD S. IRVINE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SELECTIVE MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLE-TRACKER-BOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed November 10, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S. IRVINE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of' San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Selective Mechanism for MultipleTracker-Board Musical Instruments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments and particularly to that type commonly known as player pianos or organs provided with a double tracker board whereby two music rolls may be operated intermittently over either.

The object of the invention is to produce an operating means for the two music rolls with a single operating motor with intermediate connections whereby either roll may be operated by the same motor. I further provide a mechanism operable simultaneously with the motor control mechanism whereby when the music is moving over one tracker board the openings in the tracker board will be placed in communication with the pneumatic valves, those on the other tracker board over which the music is not moving being closed. By means of this structure, a single air pipe for each pneumatic valve may be connected with the openings on both of the tracker boards. In this way, the double action of the two tracker boards may be had with but a single motor and with single air connecting pipes from each opening in the tracker board.

In previously constructed musical instruments embodying the double tracker board,

it has been the common practice to use a.

separate motor for each music roll operating means, and also to have separate air connecting pipes from each tracker board, but this makes a duplicity of parts which is very complicated and expensive and extremely unsatisfactory in its operation.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly efiective for the purposes for which it is designed. J

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Serial No. 60,673.

parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the double tracker boards showing my improved operating rolls and tracker board cut out structure in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on a line X-X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the cut out slide for the tracker boards.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the musical instrument which may be of any desired type.

The numeral 2 designates the frames which carry the tracker boards 3 and 4: with the corresponding music roll holders 5 and 6 and the winding rollers 8 and 9. The rollers 8 and 9 are provided with driving shafts 10 and 11 respectively. 10 is a sprocket wheel 12 and on the shaft 11 is a sprocket wheel 13.

The numeral 14: designates the air motor which drives a shaft 15 in the usual manner. On the shaft 15. is turnable a sprocket wheel 16 connected by a chain 17 with a sprocket wheel 13. Also on the shaft 15 and spaced from the sprocket wheel 16 is another turnable sprocket wheel 18 connected by a chain 19 with the sprocket wheel 12. On one end of the sprocket wheel 16 is a clutch face 16 and on the corresponding end of the sprocket wheel 18 is a clutch face 18.

The numeral 19 designates a sleeve'keyed to the shaft 15 and having clutch faces at each end arranged to be brought into engagement with either the clutch face 16 or On the shaft 18 to turn either the sprocket 16 or 18 with v the revolution of the shaft 15.

Suitably fulcrumed on a bracket 20 or any other suitable support is a lever 21 having a collar 22 which yokes around the sleeve 19 to allow such sleeve 19 to rotate therein but at the same time allowing the lever to be operated to slide such sleeve 19 in one di rection or the other.

At one end of the lever 21 is flexibly connected a sliding bar 23 slidable through the end of the tracker board 3 and being provided with openings 24 adapted to register with the openings 25 of the said tracker board 3. These openings out of register with the openings to allow the balance of the bar 23 to shut off communication through the openings 25. Similarly connected to thelever 21 is another bar 26 which is also provided with openings 27 adapted to register with the openings 28 of the tracker board 1, such bar 26 being slidable through the tracker board 4 for the purpose.

The numeral 29 designates the tubing which leads from the pneumatic valve structure to the tracker board and in my improved invention I have a single tubing 29 for both corresponding holes of the tracker boards 3 and 4, this being accomplished by means of branches 29 and 29 leading from the said tubing 29. The lever 21 is provided with a rod 34: which may be operated by any suitable connections from a finger lever 31 at the front of the keyboard 32 of the piano to shift the lever 21 in one direction or the other.

Since any form of connection might be made between the members 30 and 31 which might be found adaptable for the different makes of instruments, I have not here entered into any detailed description of the same since I make no claim to that particular mechanism.

Assuming now that the sleeve 19 was midway between the sprocket wheels 16 and 18, the operation of the shaft 15 would not drive either of such sprocket wheels. If it was desired to move the roller 8 to move the music over the tracker board 3, the lever 31 would then be shifted to bring the clutch sleeve 19 into engagement with the clutch face 18 on the sprocket wheel 18. This would then rotate the sprocket wheel 18 in conjunction with the shaft 15 and through the medium of the chain 19 would drive thesprocket wheel 12 and incidentally the shaft 10 and roller 8 to advance the music sheet on such roller and over the tracker board 3. lVith this operation, the bar 23 would be simultaneously moved to such position that the openings 24 would register with the openings 25 to allow of the passage of air through the music sheet openings, tracker board openings and tubing 29 through the branches 29. With this operation, the sprocket wheel 16 would be idle and no motion would be imparted to the roller 9. Under these conditions it would be necessary that no communication be had through the openings 28 into the branches 29 and therefore the plate 26 is positioned by the lever 21 so that the openings 27 are out of register with the openings 28, thus closing communication through the openings 28. When a change of music is desired, the lever 21 is moved to throw the clutch sleeve 19 into engagement with the clutch face 16 and out of engagement with the clutch face 18 The rotation of the roller 8 then stops and the sprocket wheel 16 is rotated and through the medium of the chain 17, the sprocket wheel 13 and shaft 11, the roller 9 is rotated moving the music over the tracker board 4. Simultaneously, with this operation, the bar 23 is moved so that the openings 24 move out of register with the openings 25, closing communication through such openings 25 and the bar 26 so moves that the openings air motor and by the use of a single communicating tube for the corresponding openings in both tracker boards. This greatly lessens the amount of structure necessary to operate the musical instrument in connection with the use of two music rolls, that is, the only additional structure required is the additional tracker board means for simultaneously throwing one or the other into operation.

It can also be readily seen, from the foregoing description, that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with two tracker board mechanisms and a driving member, of a single lever for connecting the driving member to one or the other of said tracker board mechanisms, and means operable by the same lever for opening communication through the tracker board, the mechanism of which is connected with the driving member, and simultaneously closing communication through the other'tracker board, as described.

2. The combination with two tracker board mechanisms and a driving member, of a lever common to both mechanisms and operable to place one in connection with the dr ving member and open communication through the tracker board thereof, and simultaneously place the other out of connection with the driving member and close communication through the tracker board thereof, as described.

3. A device of the comprising the character described combination with two Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivc' cents each, by Washington, D. G.

adjacent each tracker board and being provided with openings adapted to register with the openings in the tracker boards, such sliding members being connected with said lever whereby with the operation of such lever such openings in the sliding members may be brought into or out of register with the openings in their corresponding tracker boards, as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RICHARD S. IRVINE.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents. 

